schooling

Ross · May 30, 2013

If you are serious about this then go to the charts, http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/BookletChart.html And carefully plan your route. you will have 360 days and you can reasonably expect to be able to sail 20 miles on a good day. If all of the days were good you could travel 7,200 miles. The days aren't all good and some days you will have to sail more than 20 miles. You must understand that we are just now entering the hurricane season. Have you sailed your new boat for an entire day yet? Can you cook food on the new boat? do you know how to cook?

kappykaplan · May 30, 2013

What safety equipment is on the boat? Flares? VHF? PFDs? Do you know how to lay out a track on a chart? Do you know how to interpret what you see in the sky with regard to weather? Do you know how to read wind on the water?

Ross · May 30, 2013

Weilandbrake, During all of the time you have dreamed of making this adventure have you in any way studied the details of being entirely dependant on your own abilities while far away from help? Thirty days is hardly enough time for an experienced sailor to prepare a vessel for such a passage. I don't believe that it is enough time to prepare a landlubber for such a passage if he has to make that passage alone.

higgs · May 30, 2013

Ross, regularily did 30 - 60 miles a day in my Eastwind 24.

Ross · May 30, 2013

Wielandbrake, Nothing that I wrote was intended to discourage you only to determine if you were beyond the daydreaming stage. Speed is not a requirement for a passage such as this and the people along the way are important parts of the adventure. I would recommend a book called "Heavy Weather Sailing" by Adlard Coles. Remember that you boat will probably be toughter than you. Reef the sails as soon as you think it might be a good idea.

Roadking Larry · May 30, 2013

I'd suggest that the first couple of months of your year long trek be spent learning the boat.

shemandr · May 30, 2013

wielandbrake;1030497 And I've also okwith the Fact that it could b fatal I would rather parish in pursuit of a dream Than to go in a mundane way like car accident going for a gallon of milk [/QUOTE said:
I don't think you're going to die doing this. You will be mostly a few hours from shore and shelter for the first months. You could very well be uncomfortable and afraid of washing up on shore (The major fear being expenses you could incur). But if you're careful to travel when weather permits the biggest problem will be keeping expenses at bay. While the wind is free almost everything else costs.

Ross · May 30, 2013

I have friends who have worked their passage from Connecticut to Florida. If you have marketable skills and a willingness to work you can do this. You will have a home and a place to sleep and eat. Having a dink and a good anchor reduces your expenses greatly. Take as complete a tool kit as you can afford. Try to keep in mind that every day will be different so you can't practice enough to experience all of the conditions you will encounter. At some point you will just have to decide that you can learn the rest of it along the way.

Daydreamer · May 30, 2013

If there is any way you could do an ASA school I would recommend it.

I have been sailing our 22 on the local lake for the last four years, dreaming of coastal cruising. I've read and studied books and talked to people and followed the forums.

In April my wife and I took an 8 day course through Pacific Sailing out of Santa Cruz, Ca. Learning to heave-to and reef a sail in 20+ kts of wind was quite an experience. So was MOB drills. Taking bearings and checking course in the ocean swell was fun too.

I am pretty good at figuring things out, but having someone more experienced providing guidance sure helped sharpen the learning curve. If you cant afford a school, maybe an experienced friend could be helpful, or hook up with a race crew.

How ever you get out there and go for it I hope you have a great time!

Anonymous 121765 · May 31, 2013

Wiel,

Not trying to take the wind out of your sails, but passion never overcomes lack of skill & knowledge. There is a lot of good advice here. You need to take heed of what advice they give. Nothing beats experience.

I been to Florida's east coast, and have done the Caribbean jump a number of times.
I started out years ago planning my first overnighters, then practice, then my 50 milers, then practice, then 100 etc.

Each time I did two things. 1, I kept working on making my boat better with what I found lacking each trip. 2, practice, practice, practice between forays . The practice is important as you want to get used to sailing in all conditions good or bad. Albeit practice close to home.

I remember my first long trip was to Sarasota (30 miles). Another six months of practice and boat improvements that were needed & found on my previous trip. Then on to the next leg. This is how it went for the next eight years man. That took me down thru the keys, up past Miami, the Yucatan, the Carib. & so on.

I worked full time & would sail late afternoons during the week & mostly both weekend days. You sail year-round in Florida, so I ended up logging a lot of sea time. I read and looked up everything literature for sail, weather, rules, emergencies etc. etc. etc. Then practice what you've read about.

And why? Because I had the passion you have now, but everyone must start at the beginning. Been doing this now since 1982 full time & still find every day I go out, I see & learn something different.

Crossing the Gulf stream is not for the inexperienced or ill-prepared. Read up on the conditions, crossing windows & dangers. Opposing conditions & volatile summer weather will be your worst fears. It's not always a cake walk even for experienced folks.

These are just my suggestions pal, as I have been where you are at now, I have also seen thru the years, friends injured & lost from not being properly prepared or adequately equipped. Thus I'm only trying to be helpful, not deflating.

Hell, your boat has no idea of what water it's sailing in, so take your time, sail the snot out her, have a cutie on board with you & your set. Now it's only practice, practice, practice...

CR

Ross · May 31, 2013

Wielandbrake, Read everything you can find about and by this woman and sailor. http://www.donnalange.com/

Anonymous 121765 · May 31, 2013

Ross,

I believe your talking about the "Perfect Storm" or, the unnamed storm.
All across Florida people perished both times.

If memory serves me well, the captain was a TOOL(watch the movie), and she was the one who opted for rescue. That's the kind of woman, I would want to hook up with. And, from what I remember, her experience(and her girlfriend) in off-shore sailing was not that in-depth.

But, she had balls, as that was what the captain lacked. I remember a scene in the movie in which he stated "no, I don't have a VHF, nor do I need one."

What's that tell ya? And by the way, 16 people died between both storms, about 6 years apart. Some were seasoned sailors, one was well known & his boat disappeared off the East cost of Florida, they never found hide-nor-hair.......

CR

Ross · May 31, 2013

Donna Lange sailed around alone with three stops. She had less than one year of experience when she left for an atlantic crossing.

Doc_holiday · Jun 2, 2013

Is this going to be a single handed adventure? Or do you have a crew or companion?

Regardless, I am in complete envy.